Monthly Archives: January 2013

Post navigation

Even the most casual One Piece fan probably noticed something was missing from One Piece WCF Film Z Vol. 1, as the absent element from that set was none other than the crew’s ubiquitious “pet”, Tony Tony Chopper! While this may have seemed like a weird exclusion in isolation, it makes plenty of sense when you realize that Banpresto’s One Piece Z WCF Vol. 2 series is composed of not one, not two, but eight One Piece Film Z Tony Tony Chopper WCF figures!

Last week we broke the news that the Bandai Figuarts Zero One Piece figures shipping in June 2013 would be Hody Jones and Monkey D. Luffy Battle Ver. figures, but this week we’re going to jump back a month in the calendar to May 2013, as Bandai has just announced and released official photos of the May 2013 One Piece Figuarts Zero figures: Trafalgar Law and Caesar Clown from the “Punk Hazard” arc of One Piece!

While One Piece Portrait of Pirates figure fans are going to have to wait a few more months to get their fix of One Piece Z Figures, if you like other One Piece figures Bandai has you covered! After releasing Figuarts Zero One Piece Film Z Ain and Luffy Dueling Clothes Ver. last month, the first 2013 One Piece Figuarts Zero figures to arrive in Japan are Zetto and Tony Tony Chopper in Cow Costume from One Piece Z!

There are not a lot of characters of any import in One Piece that haven’t been made into at least some kind of figure by a major company, but Nico Olvia–mother of Straw Hat Pirate Nico Robin–was one of these rare characters that hadn’t yet been visited by the merchandise fairy. But rejoice, One Piece collectors! Banpresto has come to the rescue of Nico lovers worldwide, and included Nico Olvia in their One Piece Grandline Lady DX Figure Series 2! If only Banpresto’s paint department was as inspiring as their character selection…

I’m of the firm belief that Bandai is capable of making their One Piece Figuarts Zero figures just as good–if not better–than any other company out there producing One Piece figures. Sometimes, though, their figures end up being merely average. Though she’s my second favorite member of the Straw Hats crew, the timeskip Nico Robin New World Ver. figure is sadly one of these mediocre offerings in the Figuarts Zero One Piece line…

June 2013 is going to be an expensive month for collectors of Bandai One Piece figures. Not only is the second trio of Figuarts Zero One Piece Film Z figures (Zoro, Robin, and Brook) coming out in June 2013, but news has just come out from Bandai that we’ll also be getting two previously totally unknown figures that month as well: Figuarts Zero Hody Jones and Monkey D. Luffy Battle Ver.!

After the release of One Piece WCF Zoo Vol. 1 by Banpresto in December 2012, fans weren’t sure how long they were going to have to wait for WCF Zoo Vol. 2 to come out. But news has just come out from Banpresto revealing that after a lengthy six-month wait, we’ll be getting the second set of WCF Zoo Volume 2 in May 2013: the Super Sonic Duck Squad! Plus: The first WCF Mega figure–Franky Shogun!

If there’s one One Piece character that has had more than his fair share of merchandising, it’s the “pet raccoon dog” of the Straw Hat Pirates, Tony Tony Chopper. There have been so many Chopper figures in the last few years that it boggles the mind. So it would take something pretty extraordinary to get me excited for yet another Chopper figure. And that something extraordinary just happens to be the MegaHouse One Piece POP Limited Tony Tony Chopper DX Figure released in late 2012…

I’ve been holding off on starting reviews for the One Piece anime until a new canon arc began, and the time is finally upon us–the much talked-about, hotly-anticipated Punk Hazard arc has began with this week’s episode: One Piece 579 “Land Ho! The Burning Island, Punk Hazard”!

I feel like I spend an awful lot of time on this blog defending the Bandai One Piece Figuarts Zero line. I certainly don’t set out to clash with the popular sentiment about the Figuarts Zero One Piece line, but, well–almost every time I get a new figure I’m so impressed I can’t help but sing its praises. I thought today’s figure would be an exception to that trend, but once I got the Figuarts Zero Sanji Battle Ver. Figure in my hand, he ended up being yet another excellent Bandai One Piece figure I can’t help but commend…